Refrigeration booster

ABSTRACT

An auxiliary refrigeration unit cooling coil is immersed in water which also surrounds a second coil. The latter contains water which, after pre-cooling, feeds an ice-making machine, thus increasing the thermal effectiveness of the latter. A third coil, also immersed in the water, contains refrigerant and is connected between the ice maker compressor and its condenser, thus again increasing the thermal effectiveness of the ice maker. In one embodiment the first and second coils are in a lower tank while the third coil is in an upper tank, with water circulation between the two tanks. In a second embodiment all three coils are in one tank.

United States Patent [1 1 Larriva 1 REFRIGERATION BOOSTER Raoul M.Larriva, 5020 E. First St., Tucson, Ariz. 85711 [22] Filed: June 16,1972 [21] Appl. No.: 263,456

[76] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 62/138, 62/333, 62/348 [51] Int. Cl. F251: 1/12 [58] Fieldof Search 62/348, 435, 333, 62/138 [56] References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,267,795 5/1918 Ophuls 62/348 X Primary Examiner-William E.Wayner Atmrney-lames A. Eyster [4511 Dec. 18,1973

[ 5 7 ABSTRACT An auxiliary refrigeration unit cooling coil is immersedin water which also surrounds a second coil. The latter contains waterwhich, after pre-cooling, feeds an ice-making machine, thus increasingthe thermal effectiveness of the latter. A third coil, also immersed inthe water, contains refrigerant and is connected between the ice makercompressor and its condenser, thus again increasing the thermaleffectiveness of the ice maker.

In one embodiment the first and second coils are in a lower tank whilethe third coil is in an upper tank, with water circulation between thetwo tanks.

In a second embodiment all three coils are in one tank.

8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures REFRIGERATION BOOSTER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to mechanical compressortyperefrigerating units for all purposes and in all sizes, and especially tocascade systems comprising a plurality of refrigerating units.

Cascade refrigerating systems consist of two conventional, mechanical,compression-type refrigerating units in tandem, series or cascade. Suchsystems are well known and are described in textbooks. In such a systema heat exchanger couples the two units, and contains the cooling coil ofunit 1 and the condenser of unit 2. The advantage of such a system isthat it enables the cooling coil of unit 2 to attain much lowertemperatures than it is able to by itself. One disadvantage of such aunit is that neither unit can be uncoupled and used by itself when alesser cooling effect is sufficient.

One place in which such a cascade unit might be used is in anice-cube-making machine such as is often found in motels. Theeffectiveness of such a machine is greatly affected by the ambienttemperature so that, for example, in winter the ice maker will be twiceas effective as in summer. In order to bring the summer icecube-makingability up to a required level, the cascade principle might be used,preceeding the ice cube maker with a suitable unit coupled by a heatexchanger as above described. This, however, has the disadvantage thatit will, in winter, produce many more ice cubes than are required, andwill take correspondingly more power.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention comprises two mechanicalcompression-type refrigerating units coupled together by a booster unit.One of the refrigerating units should be of the high back pressure typeand may be termed the auxiliary unit. The other refrigerating unitshould be of the low back pressure type and may be termed the ice maker.

The booster unit consists, in one embodiment, of two separatecomponents, termed a lower tank and an upper tank. The lower tankcontains the cooling coil of the auxiliary refrigerating unit and theupper tank contains a coil in series with the input of the condenser ofthe ice maker. The lower tank also contains a coil for precooling thewater used by the ice maker. The upper and lower tanks are coupled,thermally, by water pumped from the lower tank to the upper tank andreturned by gravity. Controls are so arranged that, during theice-making part of the ice maker cycle, cold water is pumped to theupper tank, and during the harvesting or defrost part of the ice-makingcycle the pumping stops and water drains back into the lower tank.

Thus heat is abstracted from the upper tank coil by the water, which isthereby heated. and this warmer water, draining into the lower tank, isagain cooled by the cooling coil of the auxiliary unit.

In another embodiment the booster unit has only one water-filled tankcontaining all three coils, which are connected as in the firstembodiment and have the same functions. 7

Although in the detaileddescription of these embodiments therefrigeration booster, consisting of a booster unit and an auxiliaryunit, have been shown as physically separate from the ice maker, allelements may instead be contained within the ice making machine case,

and connected as described, thus constituting an ice maker unit whichprovides a larger, or wintertime, icemaking capacity the year round. 7

One advantage of the booster unit of this invention over the simple heatexchanger of the conventional cascade machine is that, simply bystopping the auxiliary unit manually, the cascade or tandem unit istransformed into a single-unit icemaking machine. This is not possiblein the conventional cascade unit.

Another advantage is that the heat exchange action of the boosterunit,'in operation, may be considered to proceed continuously, in thesense that heat is continuously given by the water to the auxiliarycooling coil during both parts of the cycle of the ice maker.

One object of this invention is to provide a tandem refrigerationassembly in which the operation can easily be changed from tandem tosingle-unit operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tandem refrigerationassembly in which two refrigeration units are coupled by a booster unitwhich continuously loses heat to the preceding refrigeration unitthroughout the entire cycle of the succeeding refrigeration unit.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a refrigerationbooster unit for use with any ice-making machine which will, infavorable circumstances, substantially double the ice-making capacity,thus neutralizing the approximately 50% loss of capacity suffered be theice maker in summer.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 diagrammatically depicts oneembodiment of a refrigeration booster.

FIG. 2 diagrammatically depicts an ice-making machine together with itsconnections to a regrigeration booster.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of a refrigeration booster. t

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to FIG. 1, oneembodiment of a refrigeration booster consists of a booster unit 11 andan auxiliary refrigeration unit 12. The booster unit 11 comprises anupper tank I3 and a lower tank 14. Tanks l3 and 14 are both filled witha heat-conducting liquid such as, for example, water.

The auxiliary refrigeration unit 12 comprises a highback-pressurerefrigeration unit similar to a compressor unit such as may be installedin a dwelling room window. However, the cooling coil 15 of the unit,instead of cooling a stream of air as in a room air cooler, is immersedin the water contained in the lower tank 14 of the booster unit 11. Thecooling coil 15, although diagrammatically shown as'occupying only apart of tank 14, may be of any desired size.

The thermostatic expansion valve 16 of unit 12 is located at the inputpipe of cooling coil 15, with its heatsensing bulb, 17, adjacent to theoutput pipe, 18, of the coil 15. Of course, in place of the thermostaticvalve, any other type of refrigeration control may be employed.

The tank 14 is maintained at a temperature between 34 and 40 F. by athermostatic switch 19 having its sensing bulb 21 immersed in the waterfilling tank 14 and with its switch contacts 22 controlling thecompressor of the auxiliary unit 12.

The auxiliary refrigeration unit 12 is otherwise substantiallyconventional, comprising a compressor 23, a compressor motor 24, acondenser 26 cooled by a motor-driven fan 27, to which water cooling maysometimes be added, with a refrigerant receiver tank 28 and filter/drier29 at the input of the evaporator. The compressor motor is provided witha manual on-off switch 31.

The lower tank 14 of the booster unit also contains a second pipe coil32 connected to an ice-making machine, as will be described. This coil,shown diagrammatically, may be of any desired size. The tank 14 isprovided with a float valve 33 for make-up water, connected to the citywater supply. This supply is also connected to the input terminal ofcoil 32.

The upper tank, 13, of the booster unit contains a pipe coil 34connected to theice-making machine, as will be described.

The lower tank 14 contains a water-circulating pump 36 driven by anelectric motor 37, this motor-driven pump unit being preferably of theimmersion type. The pump 36 draws water from the lower tank 14, near itsbottom, and forces the water up a pipe 38 to discharge into the uppertank 13. Two overflow pipes, 39 and 41, discharge into the lower tankand thus limit the maximum water level attainable in the upper tank.These pipes also are perforated with small holes so that, if pump 36stops, the water in the upper tank will drain by gravity back into thelower tank through pipes 39 and 41, and also to some extent through pipe38.

Any water overflowing the lower tank 14 is caught by a surrounding tank42 and discharged to the sewer through pipe 43.

The entire booster unit is enclosed in insulation indicated at 44.

Referring to FIG. 2, a substantially conventional icemaking machine isdiagrammatically depicted. It is of the type commonly installed inmotels for making ice cubes. However. itis representative of any icemachine or ice plant of any size. The output of any such machine orplant can be increased by a refrigeration booster of this inventionhaving suitable capacity.

The ice maker comprises two units, the mechanical unit comprises theusual low-back-pressure compressor 48, its motor 49, a condenser 51 withits fan 52, and a filter/drier 53.

The ice-making compartment 47 contains a water supply sump or reservoir54 having its level maintained constant by a float valve 56 connectedthrough pipe 57 to the output terminal of the coil 32, FIG. 1. Theicemaking compartment 47 also contains an ice-cubeforming unit 58,diagrammatically shown, containing the cooling coil or pipes 59 of theice maker. This cooling coil is provided with the usual thermostaticexpansion valve 61, or equivalvent, at its input terminal with itssensing bulb, 62, positioned to sense the temperature at the outputterminal of the cooling coil. The cooling coil input, through itsexpansion valve, is con nected to the filter-drier 53 and the coolingcoil output terminal is connected to the input of compressor 48.

A motor-driven circulating pump 63 picks up water from the reservoir 54and applies it through pipe 64 to the ice-cube-forming unit 58. The pumpmotor is connected through the wire-pair 66 in parallel with the motor37, FIG. 1.

A thermostatic switch 67 has its sensing bulb 68 positioned at theice-cube-making unit 58, with its contact arranged to control thecirculating pump 63 and the circulating pump motor 37, FIG. 1. Oneswitch terminal is connected to one wire of a source of electric powerrepresented by pair 69. One wire of pair 66 is connected to the otherpower wire. The switch 67 is arranged to close its contacts, operatingmotors 37 and 63, during the ice-making part of the cycle, and to openits contacts during the harvesting part of the cycle.

A conventional ice thickness harvest control, 71, is provided.

The output of compressor 48, instead of going directly to the input ofits condenser or radiator, 51, as is conventional in ice makingmachines, is connected through a pipe 72 to the input of coil 34,FIG. 1. The output of this coil is connected through pipe 73 to theinput of condenser 51.

A solenoid valve 74 takes its electrical input from the pair 66, thusputting its solenoid in parallel with motors 37 and 63. Its valve isconnected to the output of compressor 48 and through a bypass pipe 76 tothe input of the ice-cube making unit 58. The solenoid valve is arrangedto interrupt the pipe 76 bypass connection during the ice-making part ofthe cycle and to open pipe 76, joining the compressor output directly tothe icecube-maker input during the harvesting part of the cycle.

In the operation of the refrigeration booster, manual switch 31 beingclosed, during the ice-making cycle the thermostatic switch 67 isclosed, the circulating pumps 36 and 63 are in operation, and the bypasspipe 76 is interrupted. The cooling coil 15 lowers the temperature ofthe water in tank 14, cooling the coil 32, which precools make-up waterto reservoir 54. Operation of pump 36 forces cooled water into tank 13,where it cools coil 34, precooling the hot gas output of compressor 48on its way to the condenser 51..

Thus the operations of coils 32 and 34 greatly enhance the ice-makingcapacity of the ice maker to a degree approaching, under someconditions, a doubling of its capacity.

When the ice maker, under operation of its selfcontained automaticcontrols, enters the harvesting part of its cycle, the thermostaticswitch 67 opens, cutting off the operation of pumps 36 and 63 and makingthe bypass connection through pipe 76 from the output of compressor 48to the ice cube maker unit 58. When pump 36 stops, water drains fromtank 13 into tank 14. Because the coil 15 remains in operation, heat isextracted by it from the water in 14, lowering the temperature so thatduring the next ice-making part of the cycle this refrigerating effectcan be utilized.

If it is desired to remove the refrigeration booster from the ice-makingoperation, it is only necessary to open the manual switch 31. The icemaker of FIG. 2 will then operate alone, without any boost of itsicemaking capacity and without any penalty incurred by reason of itsconnectionsto coils 32 and 34, FIG. 1.

A second embodiment of the refrigeration booster, schematically depictedin FIG. 3, has many parts the same as parts shown in FIG. 1; these partshave the same reference characters.

The second embodiment differs from the first in having only one tank,77, instead of the two tanks, 13 and 14, of FIG. 1. However, the threepipe coils in FIG. 1: 15, 32 and 34, are also employed in FIG. 3, havingthe same reference characters and performing the same functions. InFIG.3, the coil 15 is connected to the auxiliary refrigeration unit 12and serves as its cooling coil. The coil 32 is connected to a watersupply at one end and at the other end, 57, is connected to the pipe ofthe same reference character in the ice maker. The coil 34 has oneterminal pipe, 78, connected to a check valve, 79, which permitsrefrigerant flow only in the direction marked by an arrow, away fromcoil 34. The check valve output pipe, 73, is connected to the ice-makerpipe 73, FIG. 2. The other coil 34 pipe terminal, 8], is connected tothe ice maker pipe 72, FIG. 2. The solenoid of solenoid valve 82isconnected to wire pair 66 in FIGS. 2 and 3, this being connected inparallel with pump motor 63 and under control of thermostatic switch 67.

An electric motor stirrer, 83, is submerged at the bottorn of tank 77.The tank 77 is filled with water, surrounding all three of the coilstherein and circulated or agitated by the stirrer 83.

The operation of the embodiment of FIG. 3 is the same as that of FIG. 1,except that the water is not dis placed from one tank to the other, butis circulated within a single tank.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an ice-making machine, a refrigeration boostercomprising an auxiliary refrigeration unit and a booster unit, saidbooster unit comprising:

a first pipe coil containing refrigerant, having both ends connected tosaid auxiliary unit;

a second pipe coil containing water, having one end connected to a watersupply and the other end connected to supply said ice-making machinewith water;

a third pipe coil containing refrigerant, having both ends connected tosaid ice-making machine;

means surrounding said first, second and third pipe coils with aheat-conducting liquid; and

means for circulating said heat-conducting liquid.

2. A refrigeration booster in accordance with claim 1 in which saidmeans surrounding said pipe coils with a heat-conducting liquid consistsof an upper and lower tank, and in which said means for circulatingliquid comprises an electrically driven pump in the lower tank, and inwhich said heat conducting liquid is water, said pump forcing water fromthe lower tank into the upper tank, said upper tank being provided withat least one pipe positionedto drain water from the upper tank into thelower tank.

3. A refrigeration booster in accordance with claim 1 in which saidmeans surrounding said pipe coils with a heat-conducting liquid consistsofa single water-filled tank equipped with an electric stirrer.

4. A refrigeration booster for increasing the icemaking capacity of arefrigeration machine containing an ice-making unit, a compressor and acondenser comprising:

a refrigeration unit including a cooling coil;

a first pipe coil connected at one end to a water supply and at theother end connected to said refrigeration machine whereby the ice-makingunit of the latter is provided with a supply of water for use in makingice;

a second pipe coil having one end connected to said 5. A refrigerationbooster in accordance with claim.

4 in which said heat-conducting liquid is water.

6. A refrigeration booster in accordance with claim 4 in which saidmeans surrounding consists of an upper and lower tank connected by pipesand both containing said heat-conducting liquid, and in which said meanscirculating comprises a pump forcing the heatconducting liquid from thelower tank to the upper tank.

7. A refrigeration booster in accordance with claim 4 in which saidmeans surrounding consists of a single tank containing saidheat-conducting liquid, and in which said means circulating consists ofan agitating means in the liquid in the tank.

8. The combination of an ice-making machine including a lowback-pressurecompressor, a condenser and an ice-making compartment, and arefrigeration booster comprising:

a high-back-pressure auxiliary refrigeration unit including an externalcooling coil;

a first pipe coil connected at one: end to a water supply and at theother end connected to said icemaking machine, whereby the water supplyof the ice-making compartment is furnished through the first pipe coil;

a second pipe coil having one end connected to the output terminal ofsaid ice-making machine compressor and having the other end connected tothe input terminal of said ice-making machine condenser;

means surrounding said cooling coil and first and second pipe coils withwater;

a first pump circulating the water surrounding said cooling, first andsecond pipe coils around them;

a first electric motor driving said first pump;

an ice-making unit in said ice-making compartment of the ice-makingmachine;

a second pump in said ice-making compartment of the ice-making machineapplying water to said icemaking unit for the production of icetherefrom;

a second electric motor driving said second pump;

a bypass pipe connected from the output terminal of said ice-makingmachine compressor to the input of said ice-making unit;

a solenoid valve in said bypass pipe;

an ice thickness harvest control in said ice-making machine; a

a thermostatic switch controlled by the temperature of said ice-makingunit, in turn under control of said ice thickness harvest control; and

electric circuit means connecting said thermostatic switch to said firstand second electric motors and said solenoid valve for control of theoperations thereof.

1. In combination with an ice-making machine, a refrigeration boostercomprising an auxiliary refrigeration unit and a booster unit, saidbooster unit comprising: a first pipe coil containing refrigerant,having both ends connected to said auxiliary unit; a second pipe coilcontaining water, having one end connected to a water supply and theother end connected to supply said icemaking machine with water; a thirdpipe coil containing refrigerant, having both ends connected to saidice-making machine; means surrounding said first, second and third pipecoils with a heat-conducting liquid; and means for circulating saidheaT-conducting liquid.
 2. A refrigeration booster in accordance withclaim 1 in which said means surrounding said pipe coils with aheat-conducting liquid consists of an upper and lower tank, and in whichsaid means for circulating liquid comprises an electrically driven pumpin the lower tank, and in which said heat conducting liquid is water,said pump forcing water from the lower tank into the upper tank, saidupper tank being provided with at least one pipe positioned to drainwater from the upper tank into the lower tank.
 3. A refrigerationbooster in accordance with claim 1 in which said means surrounding saidpipe coils with a heat-conducting liquid consists of a singlewater-filled tank equipped with an electric stirrer.
 4. A refrigerationbooster for increasing the ice-making capacity of a refrigerationmachine containing an ice-making unit, a compressor and a condensercomprising: a refrigeration unit including a cooling coil; a first pipecoil connected at one end to a water supply and at the other endconnected to said refrigeration machine whereby the ice-making unit ofthe latter is provided with a supply of water for use in making ice; asecond pipe coil having one end connected to said refrigeration machinecompressor output terminal and having the other end connected to saidrefrigeration machine condenser input terminal; means surrounding saidcooling coil, first pipe coil and second pipe coil with aheat-conducting liquid; and means circulating said heat-conductingliquid around said cooling coil and first and second pipe coils.
 5. Arefrigeration booster in accordance with claim 4 in which saidheat-conducting liquid is water.
 6. A refrigeration booster inaccordance with claim 4 in which said means surrounding consists of anupper and lower tank connected by pipes and both containing saidheat-conducting liquid, and in which said means circulating comprises apump forcing the heat-conducting liquid from the lower tank to the uppertank.
 7. A refrigeration booster in accordance with claim 4 in whichsaid means surrounding consists of a single tank containing saidheat-conducting liquid, and in which said means circulating consists ofan agitating means in the liquid in the tank.
 8. The combination of anice-making machine including a low-back-pressure compressor, a condenserand an ice-making compartment, and a refrigeration booster comprising: ahigh-back-pressure auxiliary refrigeration unit including an externalcooling coil; a first pipe coil connected at one end to a water supplyand at the other end connected to said ice-making machine, whereby thewater supply of the ice-making compartment is furnished through thefirst pipe coil; a second pipe coil having one end connected to theoutput terminal of said ice-making machine compressor and having theother end connected to the input terminal of said ice-making machinecondenser; means surrounding said cooling coil and first and second pipecoils with water; a first pump circulating the water surrounding saidcooling, first and second pipe coils around them; a first electric motordriving said first pump; an ice-making unit in said ice-makingcompartment of the ice-making machine; a second pump in said ice-makingcompartment of the ice-making machine applying water to said ice-makingunit for the production of ice therefrom; a second electric motordriving said second pump; a bypass pipe connected from the outputterminal of said ice-making machine compressor to the input of saidice-making unit; a solenoid valve in said bypass pipe; an ice thicknessharvest control in said ice-making machine; a thermostatic switchcontrolled by the temperature of said ice-making unit, in turn undercontrol of said ice thickness harvest control; and electric circuitmeans connecting said thermostatic switch to said first and secondelectric motors and said solenoid valve for control of the operationsthereof.